The present invention relates to an image search apparatus and method and, more particularly, to an image search apparatus, electronic still camera apparatus, and image search method suitably used for an electronic still camera capable of recording image pick-up position information together with image information.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 10-328247, filed Dec. 18, 1998, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In recent years, electronic still cameras capable of picking-up, storing, and displaying images as digital signals, and card type camera units mounted on notebook type personal computers and the like have been developed and commercially available. Such electronic still camera can pick-up a larger number of images than 24 or 36 images of a general silver halide photographing film. This electronic still camera is required for a high-speed image search method and display method excellent in operability in reproducing and displaying images.
In general, when a desired image is to be displayed on a liquid crystal display (to be referred to as an LCD) or the like in an electronic still camera or the like, images are visually checked and searched for to extract the desired image by a scroll display method of sequentially displaying images one by one based on the image pick-up time, or a multi-window display method of displaying a plurality of thumbnail images on four or nine windows at once. Therefore, a search for a desired image spends a long time and a great deal of labor.
On the other hand, electronic still cameras adopting a technique of storing position information measured by GPS (Global Positioning System) in association with image information have recently been known.
A method of searching for a desired image from images picked-up by the electronic still camera includes (i) a method of inputting and designating a certain position on a map displayed on the monitor to search for an image picked-up at the position (or its periphery), and (ii) a method of inputting a place name or the like to search for an image picked-up at the position corresponding to the place name.
However, according to the search method (i), the map information amount is very large, and a signal processing for displaying the map information is necessary. A desired area of place must be searched for by scrolling a map displayed on the monitor in order to input and designate a desired position. This method cannot realize simple, high-speed image search processing and display processing with a simple arrangement and processing.
According to the search method (ii), character data such as a place name must be input as a search condition, which complicates input operation. A desired image cannot be searched for unless the user remembers the place name of the image pick-up place of the desired image. This method cannot also realize simple, high-speed image search processing and display processing.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image search apparatus, electronic still camera apparatus, and image search method capable of easily searching for and extracting a desired image from a large number of images.
To achieve the above object, according to one preferable aspect of the present invention, an image search apparatus for searching, from a plurality of pieces of image information, for a piece of image information satisfying a predetermined condition, comprises storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of image information, and search means for searching, from the plurality of pieces of image information stored in the storage means, for a piece of image information in which a distance between image pick-up positions where pieces of image information are picked-up satisfies a predetermined condition. There can be provided an image search apparatus capable of easily searching for and extracting a desired image from a large number of images at a high speed.
According to another preferable aspect, an image search apparatus for searching, from a plurality of pieces of image information, for a piece of image information satisfying a predetermined condition, comprises storage means for storing a plurality of pieces of image information, and search means for searching, from the plurality of pieces of image information stored in the storage means, for pieces of image information in which azimuths of image pick-up positions where images are picked-up satisfy the predetermined condition. There can be provided an image search apparatus capable of easily searching for and extracting a desired image from a large number of images at a high speed.
According to still another preferable aspect, an electronic still camera apparatus capable of outputting image information to an image search apparatus for searching, from a plurality of pieces of image information, for a piece of image information satisfying a predetermined condition comprises image pick-up means for picking-up an image of an object, position measurement means for measuring an image pick-up position, arithmetic means for calculating a distance between image pick-up positions measured by the position measurement means, search means for searching for a piece of image information in which the distance calculated by the arithmetic means satisfies the predetermined condition, and storage means for storing the image information picked-up by the image pick-up means and storing identification information in association with pieces of the image information searched for by the search means among the image information stored. There can be provided an electronic still camera apparatus capable of transferring information stored in the storage means to the image search apparatus such as a personal computer, and easily searching for and extracting a desired image from a large number of images using the identification information at a high speed.
According to still another preferable aspect, an electronic still camera apparatus capable of outputting image information to an image search apparatus for searching, from a plurality of pieces of image information, for a piece of image information satisfying a predetermined condition, comprises image pick-up means for picking-up an image of an object, position measurement means for measuring an image pick-up position, arithmetic means for calculating a distance between image pick-up positions measured by the position measurement means, and storage means for storing the image information picked-up by the image pick-up means, and storing the distance calculated by the arithmetic means in association with the image information. There can be provided an electronic still camera apparatus capable of transferring information stored in the storage means to the image search apparatus such as a personal computer, and easily searching for and extracting a desired image from a large number of images using the distance information at a high speed.
According to still another preferable aspect, an electronic still camera apparatus capable of outputting image information to an image search apparatus for searching, from a plurality of pieces of image information, for a piece of image information satisfying a predetermined condition comprises image pick-up means for picking-up an image of an object, position measurement means for measuring an image pick-up position, arithmetic means for calculating a distance between image pick-up positions measured by the position measurement means, search means for searching for pieces of image information in which the distances calculated by the arithmetic means satisfy the predetermined condition, and storage means for storing the image information picked-up by the image pick-up means, and storing, as the same group, pieces of image information searched for by the search means. There can be provided an electronic still camera apparatus capable of transferring information stored in the storage means to the image search apparatus such as a personal computer, and easily searching for and extracting a desired image from a large number of images using the group information at a high speed.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present invention.
The objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.